What is dry rot in timber? : Arid Preservation

It is a fungus that eats away at the cellulose component within wood turning it brown and ultimately reducing the timber to a dry and crumbly state with noticeable cuboidal fractures.

It is caused when dampness combined with lack of ventilation provides the ideal conditions for fungal attack. It can affect all types of property, historic or modern and can grow within the cracks and cavities in the walls feeding off debris and wood behind the plaster.

What is the difference between dry rot and wet rot?

Outwith the physical differences that identify dry rot and wet rot, the main difference is that dry rot requires less moisture to germinate and grow than wet rot. It also is more likely to spread over a much greater area travelling through the capillaries between the stone/brick and there mortar joints to affect adjoining areas/properties.

Identify Dry rot

If you know how to spot dry rot the chances are you can catch it early enough to reduce the time effort and cost of removing it.

Dry Rot signs

Dry rot vs Wet Rot

Both of these timber conditions require excess moisture to occur but they are very different. Could you tell them apart?

Dry Rot vs Wet Rot

What to do about dry rot

Because dry rot is such a serious problem, it is important to treat the issue as soon as possible. Without treating the dry rot, it will live and grow, feeding off, and eventually destroying, the timbers in your property. this process will obviously have serious consequences to the structural integrity of the property.

For more information, help and advice on treating dry rot, visit the following web pages.